Story of My Life
by Scielle
Summary: We've been friends all this time. Yet, I don't really even know the real you. Roxette.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts_

Summary: We've been friends all this time. Yet, I don't really even know the real you. Roxette.

**Story of My Life****  
>Prologue<strong>

High school drama. I never thought that _I_ would actually get caught up in it. Yet, here I am. I was only able to avoid it for half a year. But now, I'm nearly a senior and the drama just keeps getting worst and worst.

Sure, I'm surrounded by friends that I adore. That's enough to keep me fairly happy. However, I can't help but wonder.

What if I never met her? What if Kairi never extended her hand out to the lonely blonde? What would've happened to Xion? Would I be friends with her? Sometimes, I wonder what if.

I was aware that change would happen. I _knew_ that it would happen and I knew there would be problems. Even before high school, many things took a turn for the worst in my life. One of them being, I had already lost contact with many dear friends.

We would magically grow distant, our interest differed, and finally, we stopped communicating with one another- except for the occasionally greeting if we managed to meet again.

Then again, it wasn't completely magical, at least not for all my lost friendships. There was a mastermind behind some of it. Well, perhaps mastermind is an overstatement. Instead, let's call her a witch; after all that word fits her like a glove.

XXX

**A/N:** Ohh boy. Let's hope this story actually makes it to the end, instead of dying halfway. –insert nervous chuckle-

Now let's talk about the story. Many of the character's traits are based on real life people. In fact, a small portion of the story is based on real events! Then, the other part of it is all made up! Can you differentiate between the reality and fiction of this story? We'll see. Ah-ha, that was pointless babbling.

In addition, this story will have a stronger friendship genre than romance for the beginning half. Or not. I'm very indecisive…

Please Rate and Review! Chapter one will be out shortly!

-Scielle


	2. When it all began

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts_

**Story of My Life****  
>Chapter 1<br>When it all began**

_2 years ago…_

Great. My summer just flew past me. I pulled my brown locks into a loose ponytail before running to meet with my friends.

It has been almost two month since I last saw them. They went on vacation for the entire summer, so I had been pretty lonely for a while. Now that they're back, I feel completely ecstatic!

"Kairi, Selphie, Naminé!" I waved my hand eagerly when I saw the three of them standing outside our classroom. We were finally all in the same class. I couldn't help but grin with glee. However, I noticed a fourth unfamiliar person standing beside them.

"Hey Olette!" Kairi greeted me first with friendly violet eyes. Immediately, I noticed her sun-kissed tan and also, her new and very short haircut. Kairi's hands rubbed the choppy ends of her hair. "My dad made me cut my hair again. I tried so hard to grow it out. But, it's gone… again." She sighed.

I gave her a slight sympathetic look before she broke out in a grin.

"Oh well, it is way too hot to have long hair now anyways! I don't know how you can stand it Olette!" Kairi giggled while slapping me in the shoulder.

Selphie and Naminé joined in with a chuckle. The fourth person remained silent as she scuffed her white runners on the ground.

"Oh, I bet you were sleeping all summer! Weren't you Olette?" Selphie teased. She had hazel-color eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. A wide grin was plastered on her face – a typically Selphie look.

"I was sleeping a lot, but I did find some things to do!"

Naminé laughed and reached into her tiny bag. "Here's a small souvenir from me!" She grabbed my hands and placed a small item in them. "I saw these key chains for sale and so I got one for everyone!" She smiled and revealed her pearly-whites that mirrored her white summer dress.

Excitedly, I gazed down at my palm and saw an adorable ice cream figure in my hand. After seeing it, I clutched it tightly in my hands and looked back at Naminé. "Thanks! I love it!" I opened my arms to give her a hug in which she returned back.

The four of us had a cheery grin covering our faces. Then I remembered that there was another person standing beside us. I looked over to her and saw her sapphire eyes meeting my gaze.

"This is Xion! She's one of my close friends. She recently transferred to our school. She went to the private school that's down the street. Xion and I have been friends since forever!" Naminé quickly introduced her to me as she pulled the shy girl into a hug.

"It's nice to meet you." She said quietly, giving me a brief nod.

"It's nice to meet you too!" I replied but she already looked away.

XXX

"Alright, everyone. I'm sure you're all aware that as juniors, you'll have to share lockers. So pair up with someone in the class and please line up in an orderly manner right in front of me." Our teacher stated. Immediately, I looked over my shoulder to meet with Kairi's gaze. However, it wasn't meeting with mine.

Instead, her eyes were quietly communicating with Naminé. I felt a sense of betrayal almost. But I quickly went to see if Selphie had a partner.

"Sorry, Olette. I promised to share with Tidus." Selphie gave me meek squeak before walking past me to line up.

I couldn't help but feel my heart sink. I didn't want to spend another year sharing a locker with a slob. No offense to my buddy last year, but I think you need to take a lesson on _sharing_.

"Do you want to partner up with me?" I turned my head and found the silent new student. "I don't have a partner yet and I don't know anyone here either…" She trailed off as she tried to find reasons to convince me to pair up with her. "I'm a pretty tidy person… I won't take up too much room…" Her hands played with the edge of her shirt and she lowered her head.

"Okay. Let's share then, partner." I held my hand out to Xion who had an expression filled with shock.

Before I knew it, she grabbed my hand with both of hers and gave it a firm shake. Instantly, I saw her face lit up and a bright smile grew on her face.

I smiled back at her. Sure, I'm a bit bummed with sharing a locker with a complete stranger. But as long as she's not like my past locker buddy; I think I'll be fine.

XXX

"I'm sorry, we couldn't be locker pals. At least our lockers are beside each other." Kairi apologized on our walk home. We've been best friends for over a decade and we've also lived within five minutes of each other. "I promised Naminé last year that if we ever get a chance to be partners, I'll be her buddy."

"Don't worry about it. Xion's nice. I don't mind being her partner." I replied back. "Besides, she seems like a fun person to be around with."

Kairi giggled. "That's good. I'm so glad we're all in the same class!" She shouted to the sky. "Let's hang out at my house! I'll race you!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her. We probably looked like idiots. Oh well! We laughed and ran down the sidewalk with both our hands raised to the sky.

XXX

After spending a few hours at Kairi's house, I walked back home and collapsed on my bed. It's another year of school. Ultimately, it's a drag going back to school. Yet, I can't help but love going back also. It's not like I do anything during summer anyways.

I rolled onto my side and reached over to my bookshelf to grab an old photo album. I blew off the thin layer of dust and gingerly opened it.

The first photo I saw was of me and a dear friend. Man. I really miss you.

Page after page, I saw more photos with you in it. I wish we had taken more photos.

It really sucks not knowing where you are and how to contact you. I miss hanging out with you and the others. Every day was filled with happiness. We were always laughing and trying to find things to do.

Who would've thought that something as simple as contact information was forgotten between us?

We always saw each other back in elementary school. In addition, we didn't have our own cells back then. In fact, I'm still phoneless – I'm not sure about you guys though. Moreover, our parents were stricter about letting us go on internet when we were younger, so we never really used computers to keep in touch either.

Gosh. I miss those days a lot. My so-called joyous days of high school can't even compare to the days I spent with you.

XXX

**A/N:** Hurray, chapter one! Thank my annoying cold that I'm writing. Sigh, my immune system sucks. I hate being stuck at home. -achoooo- :C

Well, I guess I have time to write chapter two now!

Please Rate & Review! C:

-Scielle


	3. Who am I?

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts_

**Story of My Life****  
>Chapter 2<br>Who am I?**

"I _hate_ getting up every day."

"Well, get use to it, you bum." Kairi mocked me as we walked to school. "I'm so glad that we get to sit wherever we want in class!"

"You have to fight for your seat first." I reminded my chipper auburn-haired friend.

"That's why we're going early! Duh." Kairi rolled her eyes. "C'mon walk faster! I want a nice seat at the front!" Kairi began to speed walk farther and farther away from me. "Faster Olette, faster!"

"Why?" I groaned and forced my sleepy legs to jog. "I'm tired!"

XXX

"… There are no seats left." Kairi stared at the classroom in shock. "What's wrong with everyone? We came twenty minutes before class starts and the classroom is already filled?"

I gazed around the room and noticed a fairly enormous number of people. However, I was still able to spot the piece of plastic with four metal legs.

"There are still seats at the back." I pointed to two distant chairs that were hiding behind a drum set.

Kairi scoffed. "Those can't be considered chairs. Let's go ask Sora if we can have his seat." Kairi gestured towards the brunet who was surrounded by many familiar faces.

We quickly strolled over to the mob and they greeted us warmly. Selphie grinned and gave us a wave while Xion gave us a small smile.

"Hey Kairi, Olette! You came a bit late." Naminé stated.

"But it's so early still!" Kairi whined and looked at Sora. "Can we have your seats?" She brought out her puppy-eyes.

"There are still some seats left, you don't need ours." A silver-haired individual with teal eyes groaned. In an instant, he turned towards his friend and placed his hand over the brunet's shoulder. "Don't you dare give our seats away."

Sora had a nervous look on his face. "But Riku-"

"-No! We're not giving away our seats."

"C'mon pretty please?" Kairi pleaded and brought her hands together.

"No-!"

"-Fine." Sora got up and Kairi immediately jumped onto the seat.

"Thank you, Sora!" My friend smiled mischievously.

"No problem. Let's move to the back, Riku!" Sora pushed the frustrated boy off his chair and moved to the back of the class. "Here you go, Olette! You can have Riku's seat."

"Thanks?" I took my seat beside Kairi.

Too bad, we didn't expect that our class would be divided in two. Damn, it sucked.

XXX

"Alright! We're still in the same class!" Kairi cheered as she brought mine and Naminé's hands into the air. Within a second, she released our hands. "Too bad, Selphie, Xion and Riku are in the other half of the class."

We all frowned for a moment; there was nothing we could do after all.

"It'll be okay." Naminé reassured.

I nodded my head but deep down, I had a feeling that it'll be the opposite.

XXX

After sitting through my morning classes, I walked to my locker to put away my books. When I opened the creaky metal case, I let out a breath of relief at the neatness of our locker. _Thank you, Xion for not being a slob._

Once I grabbed my lunch bag, I closed our locker. Then, I went to find Kairi, Naminé, Selphie and Xion. Slowly, I made my way though our traffic filled hallways. Suddenly, from the corner of my eyes I saw a familiar hairstyle. It was wild and blond.

At first, I couldn't believe my eyes. I tried to look for him again. But then, I couldn't find him. Maybe I'm just seeing things.

I shook my head and continued to fight through the crowds.

XXX

"Oh! Did you see that new series on TV?" Naminé asked us as she waved her French fry.

"Which one?" I asked. I took a small nibble out of my sandwich. It was only the four of us at the table. Xion wasn't with us – I had no idea where she was, but she was probably just wandering around the school.

"It's the comedy one, right?" Selphie replied with glowing eyes.

Naminé nodded her head vivaciously. "Yep! It was one of the best shows I ever saw!"

"What is it called?" I wondered.

"Do you remember when the person ran into the door?" Kairi added gestures as she spoke.

"Yeah! That part was so funny!" Naminé laughed.

"Right, right! Then he fell down the stairs!" Selphie cackled. "I felt sort of sorry for him!" She pouted and grabbed her drink.

"Aww, I know! The poor fellow." Kairi laughed and placed her head in the palm of her hands.

"What show are you talking about?" I repeated with a slight irritation.

"Are you going to watch the other new series tonight?" Naminé mentioned. She reached over and grabbed one of my crackers to eat.

"For sure. Definitely." Selphie and Kairi mimicked one another.

At that moment, I gathered my stuff and sauntered away from the table to my locker. I decided to leave my crackers behind. I didn't want them anyways.

What hurt me even more than being ignored was the fact that they didn't even question where I was going.

Dejectedly, I opened my locker and stared at the insides for a few moments before finally putting my lunch bag away. Sometimes, I wonder if my friends even noticed me. It's not like I'm invisible and silent. I was talking to them… Well, trying to.

Gradually, I lifted myself up and wandered alone in the hallway.

With each step I took, I felt unfamiliar stares that pitied my loneliness. Was I always this way? Back in elementary, there was never a moment when I felt alone.

Soullessly, I looked up and continued to walk down the empty path. All of a sudden, my eyes grew. Is it actually him? It can't be! I blinked my eyes multiple times. Then, I pinched my arm a few times. I even slapped the side of my head for good measures.

"…!" I wanted to scream his name out, but then what if I was wrong? Is it possible for a person to have an exact doppelganger? I decided the safest course of action is to walk right up to him.

Taking a deep breath, I tucked my hair behind my ears and took fast steps towards him. One… two… three… only five more steps before I'm standing right next to him!

"Hey-…!-" I stopped myself from calling him when I heard him talking to someone.

"Yeah, the place is pretty crowded. Mmhmm." He nodded his head as he leaned against the lockers. "Ugh, my teacher's a jerk. Ah-ha, I'm not joking, Pence! I'm serious! I think the guy already hates me!" He released a chuckle and removed his back from the locker.

He took a step away and then he looked up. "Sure, let's-" He paused and stared at me.

I watched his eyes rapidly move up and down – examining me. "Can you text me the place?" He quickly said before removing his phone from his ear. "…Olette?"

I beamed brightly. "Hayner! It's great to see you again!"

"You haven't changed at all!" He laughed before greeting me with a short hug. "We have a lot of catching up to do! The last time I heard from you was the last day of elementary school! I can't believe you left us behind!" Hayner glowered and broke into a smirk. "So how have you been?"

"I'm doing okay, I guess."

We began to walk together around the school, reminiscing about the past.

"All of us need to gather together again!" Hayner declared. "But then…"

"But what?" I raised a brow.

"I lost contact with Roxas too…" He bit his lower lips. "All I know is that he went to a private school… It's supposed to be a really fancy school. That's about all I know. I only have contact with Pence right now."

"Are you serious?" My shoulder slumped and I sighed.

"Yeah… Well, don't-" Hayner stopped talking and reached into his pocket. He pressed a button on his phone and the screen lit up. "Don't worry, things… will…" He spoke distractedly. "Will be alright. Listen 'lette. I'll talk to you later. Pence keeps texting me." His hands zipped over his keyboard. "Umm… Let's hang out soon!" He exclaimed as he hurried away.

"Let's hang out soon." I repeated and felt myself feeling giddy with glee. It wasn't the same as before, but I haven't felt this close to someone since back then. "I would like to meet up with all of you again." I whispered under my breath before turning around.

Alright, I should return to my _friends_ back in the cafeteria.

XXX

When I arrived, I noticed there were no seats left anymore. In fact, the number of people tripled. I gawked at the table where Kairi, Naminé and Selphie sat. They were surrounded by the biggest group of people.

I recognized a minority of them – there were Sora and Riku sitting there also.

I observed as everyone chattered loudly. There were many different conversations going on at the table. Since there were no more seats left, there were even people leaning on other people – just so they can be a part of the group.

…Maybe I should just go to class early. No point in trying to join their conversation – I wouldn't understand it anyways.

I turned my back and walked away.

I wonder if they forgot about me, or if they just didn't care about me.

How about you? Did you forget me also? _Or am I the only one that's still clinging to the past?_

XXX

**A/N:** Wooo! I'm on a roll (sort of). Then again… short chapters! Well, that probably just means I'm going to write at an extremely slow pace very soon… Whatever! xP

Bwahaha. My cold is gone! Well… I got nothing else to say.

Please Rate & Review! C:

-Scielle


	4. What should I believe?

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

**Story of My Life**

**Chapter 3 **

**What should I believe? **

A few weeks had passed.

I only saw Xion in the mornings and after school. Other than that, her location was a mystery to me.

Hayner has been around the school. I spoke to him whenever I saw him. However, our conversations never lasted long. _I hate to admit it, but maybe we won't ever return to that joyous moment of our childhood. _

Kairi hasn't been walking with me in the mornings as often these days. She joined the volleyball club and goes to morning practice, twice a week – sometimes three times.

Maybe I should have joined a club also… But I just didn't want to be forced to get up early. I hated getting up early.

After a short lonely walk, I arrived at the school. Using one hand, I pulled open the metal door. Exasperatedly, I groaned and tried to get through the crowd that blocked the doorway and stood in the middle of the hallway.

I was only a few metres away from my locker when I felt someone touched my shoulder. Swiftly, I turned around and was about to glare at the person. Instead, my jaw dropped and I became one of those infuriating road blockers.

"P-P-Pence!" I greeted happily and immediately wrapped my arms around the big-boned teen. "You haven't changed much at all!" I pulled away and examined the teen in front of me.

He hadn't changed much at all. He was slightly taller than me with his signature bandana in his unruly hair. When he grinned, his dimple appeared giving me a familiar vibe.

"I can say the same to you!" Pence released a jolly chortle. His vivacious nature remained unspoiled by time.

"What are you doing here?" I asked gesturing towards the side of the hall since people were already pilling behind us with angry protests. He nodded his head in understanding and followed me. Being able to meet up with Hayner again was unbelievable. But now with Pence? I couldn't believe my luck. "Not that I'm not happy to see you. I'm extremely happy to see you!"

"Of course you are. Who wouldn't be happy to see me?" Pence laughed again. "I was going to come at the same time as Hayner, but there were some conflicts that delayed me."

"Conflicts?"

"Paperwork – that type of stuff." Pence replied. I was about to open my mouth when he interrupted me. "Before you ask, I moved into the neighbourhood and since Hayner's here too, I decided why not switch schools also!"

I nodded my head. "Fair enough."

"It's also great knowing that you're here too! It's like the gang's almost back together!" Pence grinned. "Ah! I'm running late! I'm going to go find Hayner now. I'll see you around Olette!"

"Okay!" We waved to each other before walking our separate ways. The only person that was missing was Roxas.

XXX

Lunch time – my favourite class. I stuffed my books into my locker and went to find the others in the cafeteria. It was pretty easy to spot them recently. Our group grew and now we took up almost three tables.

"Hey Olette. I'll be able to walk with you tomorrow." Kairi informed me as I took my seat beside her. I nodded my head to answer her.

Within a few minutes, I heard footsteps quickly approaching. "You guys! You can't believe it!" Selphie exclaimed as she nearly ran into the table. She was short of breath and hair was a mess.

"Calm down, Selphie!" Riku sighed and shook his head. He groaned as the weary brunette push him onto the edge of the bench.

Selphie panted heavily before collapsing on a seat. "Naminé told me that she's moving!"

A moment of silence engulfed the group. It was quickly broken by the murmurs of people jumping to conclusions.

Kairi shook her head and shouted. "What? Tell me you're joking." Her eyes glared intensely at the informer.

"Naminé told me herself. Look she's coming with Xion! Naminé!" Selphie voice whimpered before she broke into a shout. By jumping up from her seat and waving frantically she captured the attention of Xion, Naminé and nearly the entire cafeteria.

"Hey." Naminé said quietly as she approached with sluggish steps.

I looked around the table and everyone had a glum expression.

"Naminé, you're not moving are you?" Kairi's voice began to quiver.

Naminé's lips pulled into a tight line. Hesitantly, she nodded her. "I'm moving by next month."

Then, the waterworks arrived. People at the table were either crying or frowning. Some people were already beginning to plan a farewell party.

As for Kairi and Selphie, they started to bawl their eyes out, while Riku and Sora simply frowned. Xion, on the other hand, had an unreadable expression. I wonder what expression I had?

XXX

A few days passed since Naminé's sudden situation infected our grade. A majority didn't care. However, it was still a pretty big group of people that did care. Honestly, I didn't know where I fell under.

After grabbing my lunch I was about to go find the others. Then, I saw the hoard of people. Nonetheless, I still took a few steps towards the table.

"_Naminé, you can't move away!" _

"_Don't move away!" _

"_Don't forget us!" _

I stopped a few metres away from the table. Did I really want to sit through another day of that?

"_You can't leave us behind!" _Someone sobbed loudly.

… Alright. I'm gone. I did a 180 turn and decided to search for Hayner and Pence.

XXX

It took me longer than I thought to find them. They were around their own group of friends now. They were small and close-knit – nothing like my group of friends.

I wanted to join them. But I just couldn't bring myself to barge into their group.

What happened to _my_ close group of friends? We used to never run out of things to talk about. Now our conversations are broken and aloof.

XXX

School ended and I was getting driven to my tutor's house for supplement classes. Joy.

I didn't hate going to the class. But I didn't like it either. Especially since my tutor happened to live on one of the busiest streets.

I groaned in my seat and stared out at the bright sunny sky. Then I titled my head to my right to look out my window. Cars were everywhere, and they spewed puffy dark clouds out of their exhaust.

I watched as a bus was about to stop on the other side of the road up ahead. The puffy clouds from that contraption were huge. At least it was better than having a lot of mini cars stuck in traffic.

One-by-one people began to get on and off the bus.

With a lazy stare, I watched the various strangers walking around. I wondered if anyone there was in a similar boat as me.

Sometimes, it felt like I didn't belong. The friends that I hung around with almost two years ago were the people that made me felt like I belonged.

No one was excluded from our games. In fact, everyone was encouraged to join them.

We ran around the playground, playing tag, cops and robbers, grounders, and my favourite, the floor is lava. We ran around just like that guy trying to catch the bus.

That guy's blond hair and hairstyle reminded me of Roxas. I chuckled and shook my head. Roxas was the only one that I knew with that crazy hairstyle.

I laughed and watched as the boy rested his hands on his knees. He had his head hung low when the bus drove away.

"What are you laughing about, Olette?" My mom asked as she moved another spot forward at the busy four-way.

"It's nothing. That guy just reminded me of an old friend." I replied softly.

"Who?" My mom darted her head to the side for a brief moment. "The one with the blond hair by the bus stop?"

"Mmhmm." I nodded my head.

"He looks a lot like that boy you hung around with back in elementary." My mom noted before moving forward once again towards the intersection. "What was his name…" She pondered.

I watched the boy stood up. I nearly jumped out of my seat when I saw the boy's face.

The car jerked forward again. My eyes narrowed and I tried to get a better look of the boy.

It wasn't him. It really wasn't. "…Roxas…" I whispered. I narrowed my eyes even more. It definitely wasn't him. But I still wanted to get a better look of the boy's face. The boy was so close, yet so far away.

It couldn't be him though. Could it? I wanted to see the boy up close. But I never realized how big the distance was between these two lanes.

Then suddenly, the car picked up speed. My eyes darted to the windshield and I noticed that we passed the intersection. Ultimately, the bus stop was also behind us.

_It wasn't you. Or was it really you? Were my eyes trying to deceiving me?_ I wanted to believe what I saw and the feelings in my heart when I saw the boy's face – that it wasn't you. However, deep down, a part of me believed and wished that it was you.

What do I believe? I want to believe. But maybe it's better to not to. The sliver of hope for that short period when I believed it was you brought me more joy than you could ever imagine. Why couldn't it be you?

XXX

**A/N:** Happy belated holidays? Maybe, happy early new years? The next chapter will be uploaded soon. After all, these are pretty short chapters.

Please Rate & Review! : D

-Scielle.


	5. Simply Pathetic

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

**Story of My Life**

**Chapter 4 **

**Simply Pathetic**

I couldn't concentrate at all at my supplement classes. My tutor was constantly yelling at me in order to refocus my attention on math.

"Olette! Why aren't you doing the questions I assigned?" My tutor lifted the paper and shoved it in front of my face. "Question number five. Get started already."

"Teacher, go easy on Olette. She's not feeling well." Sora spoke from beside me. "A close friend of hers is moving away soon."

"Oh. Is that so? Well, at least look like your trying to do the questions." He gave me a sympathetic sigh and walked towards another student in my class. Our class only had four people. Most of them were students from my school. However, we had one student from the private school across the street of my tutor.

The people in my class were none other than, Sora, Riku and the private school student, Vanitas. We were allowed to sit wherever we want, but there were only eight seats to choose from. So all of us sat in the four front seats, from left to right, it was me, Sora, Riku and Vanitas.

"Alright, Riku! What's the answer to number five?"

"I don't know." He groaned and slammed his forehead on the desk.

"Sora?"

"I'm not done yet…" Sora muttered and continued to scribble on his paper.

Our tutor scratched his head and looked over to Vanitas. Then he suddenly went and looked at me. "Olette?"

"Huh?" I gave him a blank stare.

With a sigh, he fell back into his chair. "Alright, Vanitas take this marker and show them how to get the answer." He held the marker and waved it in front of Vanitas.

Typical Vanitas grabbed the marker with an eye roll that seemed to look down on the rest of us. He probably wished we weren't here. After all, we were slowing down his learning.

Regardless, Vanitas leisurely got up from his seat and trailed to the whiteboard. He tossed the marker up in the air and caught it with easy. With a bored yawn, he uncapped the marker and began to write.

Within a minute, he filled the board with each step required to reach the solution. He carefully capped the marker and handed it back to our tutor before retreating to his seat.

Our tutor meticulously examined the solution. A smile was forming and his head was bobbing with excitement. "Very good. Very good! Good job, Vanitas. Okay, everyone copy it down and make sure you understand. Ask questions if you don't."

I heard a pencil slam against the desk as Sora clutched his head. "Dammit. I forgot the two!" He grabbed his eraser and erased his pencil marks as if it were a dirty stain.

Why wasn't that person by the bus stop Roxas? I grabbed my pencil and messily copied down the solution.

Or maybe it was him? But, I already convinced myself that it wasn't him. If it was him I would definitely know. Okay. So it wasn't him. Or was it…?

"Do you get it, Olette?"

"No, shut up. I'm thinking." The guy had blond hair. Roxas has blond hair. Hayner did say that Roxas went to a private school. The guy was wearing the same thing as Vanitas. Therefore, it could be assumed that the guy was from there also.

"Excuse me?"

But then… what if it was just a random guy with blond spiky hair? It's not like they're uncommon. If I spiked Hayner's hair and dyed it lighter it would look similar if not the same. Then again, dying Sora or Vanitas hair lighter would take less effort. Okay. So it wasn't Roxas. Right?

It was needless to say that I got scolded by my tutor and then by my parents when I got home. Gee thanks stinkin' Roxas look-alike. Or should that be directed at Roxas? _ I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. _

XXX

The next morning I walked to school alone. Yes, alone again. Well, walking with Kairi would make no difference anyways. Kairi has been a zombie for the last couple days. She was still in shock from hearing about Naminé's sudden news.

For the most part, people quieted down. However, whenever the slightest hint of the subject arose, Kairi would almost instantly break into tears. I would probably act like Kairi if the situation changed and Kairi was the one leaving. But it was just Naminé. Honestly, I felt almost a giddy feeling rising from the pits of my stomach. Of course, that was buried underneath my rather nonexistent sadness. After all, Naminé was my friend too.

When I got to class that morning, I heard people laughing loudly. I slowly approached them, taking soft steps.

"What's going on?" I asked and tried to look over the crowd.

"It's great news!" Selphie appeared out of nowhere and grabbed both my hands up. "Naminé's not moving!"

"Huh? Really? That's great." I was still a bit stunned. "Wait, why? Not that I'm unhappy about it though."

"It was just a stupid joke she made." Riku turned towards me and scoffed, clearly emitting out angry waves from his body. "A very stupid joke. I didn't think anyone was stupid enough to make a joke like that."

"Oh Riku! Lighten up! At least Naminé's not really moving!" Selphie attempted to compromise.

"I guess." He shrugged it off.

I guessed my brain took a bit longer to process stuff than most people. But did I hear them correctly? What kind of friend would make a joke that lasted over a week about something as terrible as moving away?

I was already slightly sceptic when she announced she was moving. But this was the cream of the crop; it left me baffled that such cruel people actually existed.

Then it hit me, has Kairi heard the news yet? What would she think?

I looked around the room and noticed she wasn't here yet. Perhaps, she was still at volleyball practice? I went and decided to ask Riku rather than Selphie.

"Oh. She heard the news and ran out the room." Riku answered nonchalantly at me. My jaw dropped and I looked at my friend as if he was an alien. He seemed to notice my expression when he opened his month to continue. "Sora went looking for her. Don't worry. Kairi's just shocked. She'll be fine. Just give her some time. I need to get to the other classroom now." He brushed past me and walked into the room next door.

I sighed and hoped Kairi was alright.

XXX

A few minutes before class started, Kairi returned with swollen eyes and Sora by her side. She slumped down in her seat with a lifeless gaze. With jelly-like arms she held her flute up. Not a single sound escaped her instrument that day.

To make matters worse, there wasn't a single free moment for me to talk to her. To add it all up, Kairi vanished to her next class instantly after class ended. She was a rather fast person…

XXX

It wasn't until lunch time that I was finally able to catch her by her locker talking to Naminé. I wanted to approach them, but they were having a fairly heated conversation.

"I can't believe you joked about something like this! Do you know how sad I was? I bawled my eyes out until they became like this!" She pointed at her eyes. "I couldn't sleep well the past few nights thinking that I was going to lose one of my best friends!" Kairi shouted at the blonde. Her cheeks flared to match her auburn hair.

"I'm sorry, Kairi. I didn't mean for it to drag out this long. It just happened." Naminé looked down at the ground and frowned. "I won't do this again. I promise."

Kairi crossed her arms and glared down at the petite blonde. Her chest huffed and puffed a few more times before she uncrossed her arms. A small broken grin appeared on her face as she held her hands out for a hug.

Naminé smiled widely and she opened her arms to hug Kairi back.

"I forgive you." Kairi muttered.

XXX

I took a detour around the school before returning to my locker. It was hard to swallow that my best friend was such a softy. It worried me. After grabbing my lunch I decided to search for the others in the cafeteria.

When I finally spotted them, I noticed the number of people diminished. It was the original group of people that I hung with, except with the addition of Xion.

Kairi noticed me first when she stood up and waved her arm at me. If I didn't have class with her this morning I probably would've never guessed she was crying earlier. Her swollen eyes were less noticeable than the days before.

"Hey everyone." I watched as Kairi and Sora scooted over to make room for me. Selphie offered me some of her fries and Riku was sleeping on the table. Naminé held her usual angelic smile as she gossiped about the latest news.

Then there was Xion who looked bored out of her mind. She had a textbook in front of her that she wasn't even looking at. Instead her eyes held a lazy gaze that stared at the ceiling.

"Oh, you guys! My birthday is coming up soon!" Naminé reminded us and she clasped her hands together. "Don't forget to get me a present! Anything is fine!"

"Can I give you nothing?" Riku spat out before lifting his head off the table.

"Of course not!" Naminé laughed. Her blue eyes held an ominous glint and she turned her head towards the rest of us. "You guys know what I like!"

Kairi released a weak chuckle and I decided to follow her action. Xion stayed quiet while Sora and Selphie simply laughed along with Naminé.

"Oh Sora! Can you go with me to get a drink across the street?" Naminé stood up and quickly walked over to Sora's side – tugging at his arm until he stood up and nodded his head.

"We'll be back soon!" She waved her arm and giggled as the two of them walked away.

"She's finally gone." Riku gave a huge sigh of relief. "Which means, I'm gone now too." He gathered his items in a hurry and ran away from the table.

Selphie slowly ate her fries before breaking the silence. "So what is everyone going to get Naminé?"

I knew I should've run off like Riku did.

XXX

The next couple days, I noticed Xion stopped hanging out with us again. I wished I had the strength and courage to do that. Unfortunately, I didn't. If I walked away from this, where would I go? Would I just barge into Hayner and Pence's group of friends? What if they didn't want me?

XXX

A few days later, once again, I was on my way to my tutor's house. I was stuck in traffic again. Being inside a stuffy ugly car didn't help either.

"Olette! Close the window! You're letting all the cold air in!"

I groaned and rolled my windows back up. "But it's so stuffy in here!"

"It's not stuffy, it's warm and comfortable. Now stop complaining." Relentless as always, my mom shushed me and continued to stare at the immobile cars in front of us. "Sheesh, these drivers don't even know how to drive! Do you see this Olette? That driver up there – in the red van, that person hasn't moved for so long! It was his turned like 5 minutes ago!"

I sighed and zoned my mom's voice out as she began her aggressive road rage rant.

When I noticed we were getting closer to the intersection I slightly sat up from my seat to get a glimpse of the bus stop. There were a couple of people waiting by the stop. My eyes instantly darted down to my watch. Almost 3: 45. The bus should be arriving soon.

I felt my body leaning closer to the windshield as I tried to get a better view of the bus stop. There were currently seven people waiting there. None of them looked familiar at all.

I looked up the street, maybe there would be a few people running to catch the bus. Unfortunately, the street was filled with students that were walking slowly – past the bus stop. Then again, maybe Roxas doesn't even take the bus. He might not even be at that specific private school.

Honestly, I wondered why I had such a jumpy feeling. It was as if I believed that miracles happened and somehow I would see him walking down the street.

What would I do if I did saw him? Jump out of my car? That was unlikely. I lowered my butt back onto my seat cushion. Slowly, my eyes refocused on the car in front of me. I tuned in my mom's rants and waited for our car to arrive at my destination.

XXX

**A/N:** Happy New Year! LET'S START THE YEAR STRONG.

Please Rate & Review!

-Scielle C8


	6. A Blast from a Winter Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

**Story of My Life**

**Chapter 5 **

**A Blast from a Winter Past**

It was strange that time passed so quickly. I couldn't believe it was already winter break. Sometimes, I wondered why time seemed to pass so slowly. But in reality, it just zoomed by.

It might seem weird, however during the holidays, I felt lonely. It snowed, and worst of all, I get stuck inside my freezing house. Most of the time, I would grab a blanket and cuddle up in it. Occasionally, I would hug a plush doll also.

Winter time never failed to remind me of the past. I still remembered back in the good old days. Well, not all of it was good. I wondered what happened to them…

XXX

_Back in sixth grade_

I had met a cheerful individual named Yuffie. She often referred to herself as a '_ninja_'. She was definitely a quirky one. But I liked that about her. She was a really fun person to be around with.

Sadly, not everyone thought that way.

I remembered one day while we were walking around the school at recess time she suddenly pulled me over to the side of school. Her eyes darted around as if she was making sure the coast was clear.

With a deep breath, I saw the blood rush to the apple of her cheeks. "Olette, I can't keep this in anymore! I need to tell someone!" Her hands reached up to cover her cheeks. "I think… I think I like Squall!"

My eyes widened in shock. At that time in my life, I was in fairly friendly terms with Leon; Yuffie was the only one who called him Squall. Since he hung out with Roxas, we gradually became a close group.

Back then, I would get a warm fuzzy feeling whenever I talked to Leon. My heart sometimes jumped at the sight of Leon. However, I still said such foolish words. "That's great! Good luck!"

It was odd how such simple words actually distanced our friendship.

At that time, I had a fairly great group of friends. They included, Roxas, Hayner, Pence, Yuffie, Leon and also Tifa and Aerith.

I didn't hang out with Roxas, Hayner, and Pence as much until seventh grade. I was around the girls. It was when I realized how scary and easily friendships could be destroyed that I distanced myself.

It was around winter time, when Yuffie began to get bullied by Tifa and Aerith. From an outsider's point of view, it seemed like they were just joking around in a friendly way. But as an insider it was the complete opposite.

Word got around to Tifa and Aerith that Yuffie liked Leon. Somehow, the news spread like wildfire. I was certain the news even reached Leon.

Nonetheless, Yuffie remained strong. She laughed off all the teasing she got. She ignored the mean comments. Last, but not least, she decided to confess to Leon.

"Huh? I don't want to go out with someone like you."

Instantly, she was shot down – and in front of the entire class during our indoor recess. To make matters worse, I got involved.

"You're so noisy. Why can't you be like Olette? She's not annoying like you."

I wanted to slap him across the face back them. I really did. However, I pretended I was too busy playing Texas hold-up with Roxas, Hayner and Pence to hear.

Everyone was surprised by how fast Yuffie was able to smile and return to her cheerful self. "Oh, okay. I'm sorry for being a bother." She lowered her head and appeared to be on the verge of tears then she lifted her head up revealing a wide smile. "Well, there's other fish in the sea! You weren't so special!"

People in the class laughed at Yuffie's comment. I just couldn't find the humour in it at that moment. I looked around our round table; the other three were silent too.

Later that day at our indoor lunch time, I was sitting with Tifa and Aerith while Yuffie sat alone on the other side of classroom.

"It's so pitiful. I can't believe she actually did that." Tifa scoffed while grabbing strands of my hair. She separated it into three and began to braid my hair.

"She didn't have a chance at all." Aerith added while copying Tifa's movement.

"Oh. You know what I saw? I saw that Yuffie's homework doesn't match her class work at all. I bet she gets her parents to do it!" Tifa hissed out.

"No wonder she gets such high marks for homework while her class work looks terrible!" Aerith sneered.

I didn't know what to say. Once again, I pretended I was eating my lunch and not paying attention to their conversation. I was a terrible friend. _I'm sorry, Yuffie._

It wasn't until a year later that the distance between I and Tifa and Aerith widened. That was when I became closer friends with Roxas, Hayner and Pence.

XXX

I didn't even remember how it happened. It just did by some weird chance. Tifa, Aerith and Yuffie became best friends for life while I turned to Roxas, Hayner and Pence.

During that short year, so many things had happened. It wasn't just our small group that changed. Almost everyone in our class had a slight switch in friends. How strange it is that a bond so precious is broken so easily.

I didn't purposely distance myself from Tifa and Aerith; it just ended up that way. I wasn't sure why Yuffie stuck to them like three peas in a pod either. I remembered how she resented them before and when she asked _me_ why I hung around them. A person's mind changed so quickly. Nonetheless, I still remained friends with Yuffie.

We may have stopped pairing up for projects, we may have stopped hanging out at lunch, and we hardly greeted each other. However, deep down, she was still the same bubbly person that I remembered. Or so I liked to believe.

I guess the reality of it all didn't hit me back then – that people change. Honestly, I wondered what I was thinking back then. The things I did seemed so foolish.

XXX

"Roxas!" I happily ran towards my friend. He was leaning against the rough granite walls with a neutral expression. His eyes glanced upwards and the edge of his lips curved upwards, showing that he saw me too. That was his way of greeting people.

When I stood beside him he appeared to be opening his mouth to speak, but my mouth seemed to move faster than I thought.

"Did you finish the homework?" We spoke at the same time. He released a light chuckle that made him seem older – wiser. I almost forgot that he was actually younger than me – though it was only by a few months.

"Hey – hey!" Hayner shouted loudly from across the basketball court. He caught many people's attention but he gave them a stern glare which easily silenced them. "Did you guys finish the homework!" He shouted rather than asked.

In less than a second, Pence started waving at us frantically. "You guys! I have a question about the homework!" Pence stumbled across his foot as if he was a big footed clown.

Roxas and I waited for Hayner and Pence to catch up before laughing ourselves silly. They had a puzzled look, but within seconds they started to laugh also. It was these moments that made me wonder – how did we lose contact?

XXX

**A/N:** This chapter should've come out a bit earlier… But I didn't feel like reading over it, until now! I've been in a rather stressed state, messed up another exam. Yep… another one… Reading over this chapter sort of lifted my mood. Then I got a bit sad again.

Oh well, please read & review!

-Scielle.


	7. Ring of Separation

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

**Story of My Life**

**Chapter 6 **

**Ring of Separation**

Winter break ended so fast and bam! It was Monday again. No wonder people didn't like Mondays.

I let out a loud yawn and leisurely strolled to my class. I felt sleepy, so sleepy that if I closed my eyes for a prolonged period – I'd fall asleep.

Once I got to my class, I pulled on the door knob. I earned a few raised brows before I remembered that I needed to push the door. Shaking my head, I opened the door to hear the lively chatter from my class. Where did they find their energy?

My eyes narrowed due to my tiredness, but also to locate Kairi. It took me a few minutes before I spotted her auburn hair sticking out from a large crowd.

Instantly, I noticed a look of distress on her face. She was biting her lower lips, her brows were furrowed and she was looking down while twiddling her fingers. Sitting opposite of her was Sora, who had an equally stressed expression. Adjacent from Kairi, was none other than Naminé who had her palm faced up, holding some sort of tiny, yet shiny object.

As I approached them, I looked closer at the object and took a step back when I saw a ring in Naminé's palm.

"C'mon Kairi. It's just a toy ring, why are you rejecting it?" Naminé dangled the ring in front of Kairi's face.

"There's no way I can accept that, even if it is a toy." Kairi muttered with her face still down.

"You two are such close friends. Just take it Kairi." Naminé tried to shove the ring into Kairi's hand.

"No! Stop it!" Kairi closed both her hands, clasping tightly that her fingernails were digging into her palm. "I don't want it-" Her trembling fingers reached up to cover her mouth.

Sora looked down with a deeper frown than before. His eyes held a glossy look over them before he closed his eyelid. Then he got up from his seat and walked out of the classroom. The class was silent while Kairi whispered quietly, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean that…"

Judging from the conversation, I didn't want to get involved. Unfortunately, curiosity got the best of me.

XXX

During lunch time, there were only four people at the table, I, Kairi, Naminé and Selphie. I sat beside Kairi while Naminé and Selphie sat across from us – interrogating Kairi as if she was a culprit.

"Shesh, Kairi, why'd you flat out reject Sora?" Selphie asked.

"Yeah, you know he even asked me to help him find this ring." Naminé rubbed the edge of the ring with her fingers.

"I don't think of Sora that way. How many times do I have to say this?" Kairi groaned. Her patience was thinning.

I didn't want to join the conversation at all. So I stayed quiet while the questions continued.

"Don't you like Sora at least a little bit?" Naminé's pestering continued.

"Yeah, as a friend." Kairi stated.

"Don't you at least want to go out once?" Selphie added.

"No."

Naminé crossed her arms. "Well, this ring doesn't belong to me. So take it already. If you don't want it so badly, return it Sora yourself." She reached over tugging Kairi's hand across the table.

Kairi let out a tiny yelp and struggled to pull her hand back. "Stop it!"

The blonde continued to pull on Kairi's fingers, desperately trying to open the tight fist. With one tug after another, Kairi's grip loosened and the metal object dropped into her palm.

"There! It's yours after all." Naminé quickly gathered her belongings and pulled Selphie away with a giggling fit. "I'll see you later!"

Kairi stared with disbelief. Her head lowered and she looked at the ring filled with loath. "What should I do, Olette?" She muttered hopelessly.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I realized I had nothing to say. I kept my mouth shut and the two of us sat silently in the cafeteria.

XXX

The next morning, Kairi arrived at my house bright and early in the morning. She had a sorrow look on her face and she gave me a weak smile when I walked out of my house.

We talked about school and then Kairi decided to talk about the event that happened yesterday.

"I don't know how I'm going to get through class these days. Sora's in almost all my classes and so is Naminé. Why can't she get it though her thick skull already?" She shouted. She brushed her hair behind her ear and frowned. "Hey, Olette. Can we go somewhere else at lunch? I don't want them to pester me again."

I nodded. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"

Kairi pressed her lips together and began to make a smacking sound with them. "How about… we find Xion? I'm curious about where she goes at lunch."

"Alright. I'll meet you at your locker at lunch?"

Kairi's eyes widened. "NO! That's where Naminé will be! I'll meet you outside your classroom."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Okay… But you do know that I'm in a portable?"

She copied my action and grinned. "So? More reason to meet up there. Naminé hates going outside, especially on cloudy days. Besides, if I remembered correctly, Xion's classroom is in only two-three portables beside yours."

I chuckled. "Alright. We'll meet up outside at lunch time. Then we'll decide what to do later."

"Sounds like plan!" She held her hand up and I gave her a high-five.

XXX

Just liked we planned. I walked out of my classroom and Kairi ambushed me. Swiftly, she dragged me to another portable and we stood outside – waiting.

"Tick-tock-tick-tock." Kairi spoke beside me. "Cookooo, cookooo!"

"Be quiet, Kairi."

"No! Tick-tock-tick-tock."

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around myself. I shivered as a chill ran down my spine. Next, I pulled my hair over my ears, hoping that they gave my ears some sort of warmth. I breathed in and out loudly, watching a grey breath of air in front me slowly fading away.

"Hmm." Kairi blew her hair to her side – a large cloud appeared and disappeared. "Maybe I got her class wrong…"

"…"

Kairi turned to me and grabbed my hands with her mitten-covered ones. "Let's go back inside. We can eat in the classroom of my next class." She gave a sheepish grinned and pulled me along back into the building. "Lalallaaa." She hummed cheerfully.

XXX

For the next couple days, Kairi would ambush me outside of my class before lunch. She would drag me around the school until we found a quiet hallway to eat our lunch. At the end of the week, I saw Kairi's smile reappeared – a genuine one. She was back to her usual self, at least around me.

Whenever we were in class, she would ask me to switch seats with her just so she would be slightly further from Naminé. Kairi was still anxious about being near Naminé and extremely anxious about being near Sora. Despite being close friends for the last year, that one instant practically turned them into complete strangers.

Along with my observation of the situation, I also noticed a deadly pair of eyes glaring at my skull. It slightly frightened me considering they were eyes that used to look amicable – eyes that I once recognized as my friend. Those former vivid blue eyes turned into a dark typhoon that contrasted with her usually angelic demeanour.

XXX

**A/N:** I have nothing to say. :3

Please Rate & Review!

-Scielle.


	8. No Turning Back

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts

**Story of My Life**

**Chapter 7 **

**No Turning Back**

It was strange how things just happened unexpectedly. Two years ago, I never expected our group to shatter – just like how I never imagined I would lose contact with my precious friends.

The past two years, I always wondered how the three of them were.

Hayner was always a hyperactive guy – he could get along with anybody, anywhere. However, he chose to stick with us.

Pence on the other hand, was more reserved. He was capable of getting along with everyone if he wanted – always polite and greeting others with a smile. He acted the same with us, except he was a lot less polite, yet jollier.

Then there was Roxas. He always gave off a more mature aura, regardless of who he hung out with. He was the kind that stuck to the shadows but always ended up shining. He was the shining chain that bounded us together for all those years.

Now, we were hardly close. Could we even be classified as friends?

Hayner and Pence are still great friends with one another. Unfortunately, as a group we're disjointed. Our conversations became brief and awkward. We no longer have common interests to talk about.

And Roxas? We haven't heard from him since we graduated from elementary. We just know that he went to some elite school. It was so typical of Roxas – to leave the most important details to himself.

Despite Hayner and Pence being so near to me, without the chain that bounded us – we only grew more distant.

Xxx

Over the course of the next couple of days, things started to calm down. Everything was practically back to normal.

Anyways, Kairi was finally comfortable enough to sit in the cafeteria again. Unfortunately, she wasn't comfortable around Naminé still.

I could see her arm tense as Naminé approached our table.

"Hey! I haven't talked to you for so long!" She took a seat in front of Kairi. "You're never around at lunch and you never talk to me in class." Naminé pouted and gave a frown.

Then with a venomous tone, she spat out. "You're always hanging out with Olette and not me."

Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe I was being paranoid. It might have possibly been a mixture of both. Kairi didn't seem to pay much attention to it. I could tell she was preparing herself to keep her cool.

"What are you talking about? I just wanted to get some fresh air at lunch." Kairi rolled her eyes and leaned her face into her hand. Her eyes held a lazy gaze.

"I would've gone with you! You didn't need to go with _her_." Naminé exclaimed with that same tone from before. "Anyways, have you decided what to do about the whole Sora business?"

And there it was. I saw a vein getting ready to pop from Kairi's head, and her fingers and eyebrow began to twitch. "There is nothing to do about it." Kairi gritted her teeth.

"Sora's pretty good looking compared to the guys in our grade. Do you really want to miss out on this chance?" Naminé pestered.

"He's a friend. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Why don't you just go out with him? It might be friendship now, but it could develop!" Naminé clasped her hand. "I know this great café that recently opened! You guys can go there on your first date!"

I watched Kairi beginning to huff. She was trying to hold down her rage. I didn't want to get involved in the conversation, but I didn't really want to see this conversation go even more downhill.

"Say Naminé, how did you find the test this morning?" I attempted to change the subject.

"Then you guys can go to the park and walk towards the delicious ice cream store at the corner!" Naminé's eyes glimmered and she continued to talk – ignoring my presence completely.

Kairi noticed my sad attempt. She gave me a weak smile that quickly turned into a frown once again.

"So why don't you just go out with Sora once? You might enjoy it more than you think!"

And it finally happened. I could see the steam coming out Kairi's ears, the twitching eye, heavy breath, and a crack sound.

"Look! I don't want to go out with him!" Kairi stood up and slammed her hands on the table. "I never wanted to and I probably won't right now! Stop trying to force me to date him!"

Naminé remained unfazed. "You know Sora really likes you." She frowned. "Can't you guys just hang out for a day? You don't even have to call it a date."

Kairi's hands tightened into a fist. "I'm not going to go out with him out of pity! I'm not going to raise his hopes for something that not going to happen!"

"I didn't mean it that way. I meant as in just hanging out as friends. There's nothing wrong with that is there?"

"I know what you meant! There's no way I could do that either! Especially not right now!"

"Why not?" Naminé pursued.

Kairi gathered her belongings signalling me that she didn't want to stay any longer. "Why? You want to know why? It's because my parents banned me from dating until after high school. That's why." Kairi took a step away from the table and looked back at Naminé with a cold glare. "Also, I don't want to be dating anyone right now anyways."

I quickly followed Kairi and we both walked away from the cafeteria and Naminé.

XXX

Kairi threw herself on a bench in the hall. She covered her eyes and released a groan. "Aw man. I just snapped at her. I can't believe I'm feeling so guilty right now."

I stood beside the bench and leaned against the walls. "Naminé sort of deserved it. She was being pretty nosy."

Kairi released a sigh and sat up and looked at me. "Yeah…" She patted the seat beside her and I took the seat. "But, she's still my friend, even if she doesn't know when to mind her own business. I guess she's just watching out for Sora and me in her own strange way."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Oh you're probably wondering why my parents banned me from dating."

Curiosity always killed cat. "…"

"The trust is… I was seeing someone over the summer." Kairi smiled warmly. "I would tell you more, but I sort of want to keep it my special secret." She hugged her knees to her chest and her cheeks turned rose.

"To make a long story short, I met a guy and my parents found out. They freaked and told me I'm too young to be in a relationship. They dragged me away from him right before we got the chance to exchange contact information. So I can't even communicate with him." She chuckled and buried her head into her knees. "I have the worst luck sometimes." Kairi whimpered.

I turned to give my friend a hug. "I hope you two meet again."

XXX

"Kairi!"

I and Kairi followed the voice and found Sora walking towards us. He held an uneasy look. I felt that it was beckoning me to leave the two of them alone.

I thought about getting up and leaving the two alone, but then Kairi grabbed my wrist pleading me to stay. I ended up staying in my seat trying to keep myself occupied by staring at my nails.

"You need something Sora?" Kairi asked.

Sora stood in front of Kairi. His arms laid still by his side. With a deep breath his right arm moved up with his palm facing upwards.

Kairi's eyes stared at the empty palm. Her eyelids lowered and she reached into her bag. Carefully, she cupped an object in her hand and placed it into Sora's palm.

She retracted her hands and Sora did the same. He quickly placed both his hands in his pocket and looked down at the floor. His foot scuffed against the floor as if he was contemplating what to say.

Kairi relaxed her shoulders and looked up at Sora. "I'm sorry I can't reply to your feelings."

"…" Sora looked at Kairi and forced a smile. "Yeah, I know." He lifted his arms up and folded them behind his head – a neutral-Sora pose. "I was sort of expecting it to happen."

"…" Kairi remained silent.

"We could still be friends, right?" Sora held his hand out in front of Kairi.

Kairi released a gasp but then she nodded her head and grabbed Sora's hand. "I would like to be friends still." She grinned.

Sora laughed. "Same here! It's strange not being able to talk to my own friend." He pulled Kairi off her seat and two stood side by side with a grin on their lips. "Oh. But I don't plan to toss my feelings for you aside yet."

Kairi quickly took her hand back and her grin turned to a frown.

"I'll stop all the talk going around the school. It's been bothering you, right?" Sora held his smile. "I want to be friends with you again. However, it'll be awhile before I can get rid of my feelings for you – so please let me hold on to them a little bit longer."

Her lips pressed together and she eventually nodded her head. "Alright." She shook hands with Sora and smiled once again.

Despite their agreement, there was still an unfixable gap between them.

XXX

Surprisingly enough, all the talk was practically silenced. Naminé had a curious look that wanted to know what happened. Nonetheless, she chose to not ask any further. The only thing that remained from the incident is the occasional gossip.

It was almost as if nothing ever happened. At least in class we were all friendly with one another.

Unfortunately, there was still that unmistakeable gap between Kairi and Sora. At lunch time, Sora stopped eating with us and Riku also left with Sora. They began to eat with other people.

Xion was never with us. She always disappeared right after class.

Naminé and Selphie stopped talking with Sora and Riku. They only hung out with Kairi and me. But in all honesty, I felt like a ghost at the table.

As for Hayner and Pence, I envied their happiness every time they walk by. Whenever our eyes meet, we would always greet one another – that was as long as our interactions would last. From afar, they were surrounded by a cheery aura.

What did my aura look like? I'm certain it was not a cheery one.

XXX

**A/N:** Well… It's been a while! Ahaha…

-Scielle


End file.
